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Monday, October 1, 2012

(Big fat) project FAIL

Soooo. OK. I was SO stinkin’ excited about this project. So. excited. I saw it on a blog a couple weeks ago and could not WAIT to do it. It was a mixture of (CUTE!) art and organization and I knew it would be super fun when it was done. But it was a FAIL. And I’m more than a little peeved about it, I gotta be honest. I saw this idea on the Land of Nod blog (Honest to Nod) and immediately pinned it:

I was so excited, I didn’t waste any time on gathering materials. For me it was an excuse to take the trek out to IKEA (I wasn’t going there JUST for these…but I almost would have, I was that psyched about it). I grabbed five of their magnetic knife strips for my idea.

This wasn’t an inexpensive project – each one was $12. Way more than I would typically spend on a project like this. But again. Excited. Giddy.

It should have only taken about 20 minutes to hang the strips, but because there are spacers involved when hanging the racks, trying to find the right sized screws in my stash took FOREVER. I should have taken this as an omen, but I powered through, using a level to install each one:

I should mention here that I big time hesitated before using the anchors in the BRAND NEW DRYWALL in our basement – it kind of hurt to do it. Should have taken that as omen No. 2. But I knew this would be here for years and would be super cute so I kept on…

The design they used on the blog must have taken an obscene amount of strips (we're talking hundreds of dollars), so I simplified mine and did an initial instead:

I was SO excited (have I mentioned that?) when it was done and the Bub and I grabbed the bin of (METAL) toy cars to start sticking them on. Annnnnd nothing. Not one was sticking. Not even a little bit. Not one. I was digging through, trying them all… all the while whispering to myself “NO. freakin’. way.” Way. Totally. The metal on the cars (and airplanes, trucks…trains) isn’t magnetic. I got the wheels of ONE train to stick. And there’s another car hanging on for dear life in that pic but it’s just barely on there by the metal in the wheels. I was HOT. I felt more than a little mislead by the blog post I used for inspiration – I’m pretty convinced they glued magnets to the back of each car for the post. If not…well, they have magical metal toys that stick to magnets. :) I tried older cars too by the way, some about 30 years old, maybe older? Not one stuck. Yes, I guess I should have double checked to see if they stuck beforehand. But the post shows that they stick just fine, and I just totally spaced it on the certain metals not sticking kind of thing. They’re METAL cars (and trains, and planes…) and I just assumed it would work. (And we all know what happens when you assume…)So…now I’m not sure what to do. I could glue magnets to the back of each car – but that’s a LOT of cars and a lot of work and the cost of magnets. A friend suggested swiping a coat of magnetic paint along the bottom of each car, which I may try. I have the paint already (from the chalkboard in our kitchen) that I could use. I don’t know if it would be strong enough but I think I’ll at least try it. If that doesn’t work I’m taking it down and will have to find a use for five stinkin’ metallic racks. I don’t keep our knives out so I won’t use them for their intended purpose. (And that’s a lot of knives people!) I’ve found a few ideas on Pinterest that would work (especially one for the craft room that would be really helpful). So that’s my latest fail. It doeshappen around here. Not often, because I usually take EONS to think ideas through. See what happens when I don’t take six months to do something? ;)How would you try to save this project? If it can’t be saved, how would you use the magnet strips? I have a feeling I’ll need ideas! Anyone want to come help me patch ten monster holes in my wall? I’ll give you a magnetic strip!
**Looks like they have edited the post to reflect that they used really old cars. Although as I mentioned, I tried old ones as well and they didn’t work.

You could buy a roll of sticky magnetic tape- it's usually pretty cheap, and then you can cut your magnets to size, and it'll just stick to the bottom of your cars. I think I've gotten it for ~$3 at Hobby Lobby, for like 20ft? This is such a cute idea- I hope you can salvage it!! :)

Don't take it down! I like the big E. Just get/make magnets and let him hang art work or get magnets with hooks and hang other treasures on it. So, it didn't work for cars. It's a really good idea for other things.

I would glue magnets to the cars, but I'm a cheap-o, so I'd only use magnets that come with my junk mail (usually calendar magnets from realtors). I'd just cut the magnet up into small pieces. This would take a while to collect, but it would be a free fix. Hope this helps!

Oh man I would be disappointed also. :( I would try the magnetic paint on the bottom of the cars. I assume it's a play room in the basement? If so maybe you could store art supplies in old cans stuck to the magnets? Though, that may be an invitation to a craft supply mess (I'm picturing foam stickers, fuzzy balls, yarn, etc. Not scissors or paint). If that doesn't work you could do the same thing but in the bathroom to hold cotton balls, q-tips, etc.

I forgot to mention I do have some of the magnetic strip stuff, which is much cheaper, but it doesn't usually stick to things for me. And the sticky part won't work on the bottom of the cars because they aren't smooth, so I'd still have to glue them on. Grrrr. :)

OH MAN!! That bites! I think I was on Pinterest the same day you were & saw your pin & immediately repinned it...I also thought it was cool & would be a great solution to all of the millions of matchbox cars we have lying around the house! So sorry it didn't work out!! I think I would at least give the magnetic paint! It's worth a shot!!

I was going to suggest the magnetic tape too...not that expensive and you can cut them to size. They are just peel and stick. I also agree with Dayna...hanging artwork or even magnets collected on trips would be cute (and better than having to patch all those wholes). The other suggestion I have would be to find some kind of containers that would stick that could hold small toys/pieces that easily get lost.

I did the SAME thing! Only...I had seen something similar pinned, not that particular one. Fortunately for me I already use those magnetic strips on the inside of one of my cabinets for my knives, so I tried the cars before I bought more magnetic strip things. I was way disappointed though, because I thought it was SO cool! After looking at a bunch of my kids cars I realized that they had mostly plastic bottoms. Maybe the older vintage cars that had more metal would work? Anyway...bummer that that was a "fail" for you, hate that!

What a bummer - that project would definitely have called to me, as well. Super cute! I agree with Dayna - keep the strips up and find other creative uses for them. It's awesome that you made it an initial, because it's cute all on its own. It can be an ever-changing display of stuff.

Art work is a great idea too! I thought of that, but I *just* moved our craft area to another part of the house and got supplies to create another art wall in another room. The kiddo does create a lot of art so I would have plenty to add down here too. :)

Have you contacted Land of Nod about it? They are super responsive via Twitter and their customer service is always very helpful. I bet they could at least tell you how they did it so you could decide what you want to do next.

Ikea is known for their "Love it or return it" policy. Take it back and I'm sure you will get a refund if you have the receipt. If not, you will get a store credit; which I always seem to spend before I'm back out the door.Lori in Atlanta

Sosorry- bummer deal- it did look like a good idea- and Ive been there that whole magnet thing that is magnetic- you are not alone!! Love when you wrote...whispering under my breathe.."no Freaking way...WAY!" I was laughing so hard- not at you- but at the horrible situation....keep creating!!! Love your stuff!

I agree that you shouldn't take it down just yet. Someone else suggested using small containers with magnets on for small toys....what about legos? Those things get everywhere! I also like the artwork display idea. Sorry things didn't work out how you planned. I hate it when that happens!

Not sure how old Bub is, but if he is old enough to not stick small objects in his mouth you could glue (I know more work) washers on the bottom of his cars. Just make sure the washers aren't aluminum. Good luck, it is an adorable idea.Sue

I'm so excited to see I'm not the only one that fails on projects found elsewhere. Although half the fun with failed projects is coming up with a solution or an even better project. Makes you feel that much more accomplished when you can look back and say "check THIS out! Not only did I DO IT, but I did it BETTER." ;) Good luck!

I bought a magnetic wreath hanger and it wouldn't stick to my metal door. FAIL. I feel your pain. As for what you can use the strips for... I have one in my craft room with scissors hanging on it. I love that because when more than 1 person is crafting or wrapping there is always a need for more scissors. We also have quite a few in the garage too. Good luck I'm sure you'll find some great way to use them.

Would it work to take large metal paperclips and slide them on the axles of the car parallel to the body of the car and use them to stick to the magnetic strip? Not sure if it will work, but it might be worth a zero-cost try....(may hinder Bub's Vroom Factor, however....)

If you glue things to the bottoms of the cars or paint them, you may mess them up for their intended play purposes-- I can envision them not rolling along a track well after paint and glue.

I would keep the cool E shape and come up with a changing array of fun things to display there. Bummer that it didn't work out how you intended, but you may end up loving it more with a twist that is your very own.

Cover it with BUTTONS! I make button magnet sets, so I happen to associate the two together! But BUTTONS! They are colorful, you could ombre them...but they are swallowable, and I'm not sure what your kidlet/age situation is.

Please let us know if the magnetic paint works. I saw this idea on Pinterest too, and loved it. Sorry it didn't work out. Thanks for sharing though.

If you decide to keep it up on the wal, get your son excited about collecting magnets while on vacations, and you'll have a place to showcase all of the places he's been. While it's empty, have him draw out places he wants to go, and use a magnet to keep the drawings up there, to replace when he finally goes.

LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEEEE. I hate when I get so excited about something and it doesn't work out! I am so sorry! I have seen a lot of fun things that you can do with those strips though. Lots for craft rooms and bathrooms for makeup and brush storage. Good luck!

Thank you for posting this. You just saved me (and probably others) a lot of time and aggravation as we tried this. BTW: MIchael's and Joann's sells magnetic strips and sheets that might be worth a try to put on the underside of the cars. I believe one side is stickable.

Before you do anything keep in mind that those pieces are already magnets! Adding more magnets means getting the polarity right on every one. I vote you turn it into a ping pong ball track with cups and tubes and stops. And you can just tell yourself that he cars in the pic all have lead paint ;)

I vote that you leave the magnetic initial up (it does look awesomely cool w/o anything on it...) and keep an eye out for other (cute) metallic items that do stick. It would certainly be better than patching drywall :-)

I think the idea of doing it as initial is darling! I would keep it for sure. I was going tom mention buttons...but I think someone already mentioned it. They would make it really decorative and help your children work with patterns (my 4 year old loves that). OR, you could start a magnet collection. I think it would be really cute to have your kids pick out new and fun magnets from places they visit. It would be a great way to display them :-)

well look like this is your oportunity to figure out what else you could use on them to create your own piece of art! what is made of metal out there that could be used?? cars might be out of the question but maybe theres something else?? :))

Could you use magnetic paint? The website says it creates a surface that attracts magnets. I'm not really sure if it would work, but it would sure lay flat on the bottom of the cars! Here is a link for Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/rust-oleum-specialty-30-oz-black-flat-magnetic-latex-primer-223081.html#.UGnugvnwKXQ

I like the idea of washers too. If you used magnets of any kind, they might stick to other things you don't want them sticking to. Race tracks or other car toys come to mind. The washers wouldn't take to long to glue on...you would probably be done in an hour or so, depending on how many cars you have. I was going to try this too but am glad I saw your post. Please post pictures once you figure out your solution. I may still try it if the washers work out.

We did use very old cars, it's true the new ones aren't really made of metal that's magnetic. We just added a note at the bottom of the post to be more clear - sorry for any inconvenience - we'd be happy to pay for the knife strips if you don't find an alternative to this craft.

What a bummer for you! It was a very cute idea though. I already saw you had a ton of good suggestions. I will look forward to seeing what you come up with. I just stumbled upon your blog and look forward to checking in more often. :)

That totally bites!! I can almost hear the 'whomp whomp' soundtrack as you sat on the floor! Ikea will take them back...I've used them in my son's room to hold pics and awards, and even got those round tins with magnets on the back (again from Ikea), and he keeps little trinkets in those.

I would ditch the project. :o( What a cool idea if it really worked though!

My thoughts on what to do with the magnetic strips. A magnetic spice rack, a magnetic tool strip in the garage, a magnetic picture holder - make a gallery wall using magnets on the backs of picture frames, buy/make magnetic #'s, letters, paper dolls ect for your kids to play with on the strips, a magnetic organizer over your desk to hold pens, clip boards, ect,

Is your guy a Lego guy yet? The mini figures would look cute displayed on the E. hot glue the 6 dot white bricks to the E, and the mini figures sit on them. I got the idea from pinterest and did it on 2 big rectangular picture frames.

I didn't read through all the comments, but I think Connecticut's idea for washers is great. I know some others mentioned it further down as well. I bet the Bub would even love to help glue them if it works. I know my kids love any chance to help with glue. Maybe he could squeeze a drop on and you could add the washer so he doesn't get too much on him. Sounds like a great after school rainy day project. :-)

I had the same ideas as some of the others, either to try magnetic paint on the metal strips so the cars will stick, or to glue little magnents on the bottom of each car. Sorry about the fail though, that is so frustrating. Wishing you much luck in recovering this project..

Ooh. . .gah. I'm so sorry. I'd buy one off ya, if I still lived in IN. Shucks. Actually, I'm super frustrated with my absolute love for Pinterest-- there's just sooo much out there that's misleading, from DIY to recipes. I am now this anal queen who checks every.single.thing. I pin, to make sure it's going to the right spot, and the comments are good reviews.

boo - that bites big time! But it could've been worse - you could have done a huge installation just like the one they did - now that would've really sucked! I'm sure you'll come up with something even more genius!

OMG I was literally going to do that SAME project this very weekend! You have saved my wall! THANK YOU THANK YOU! As others have mentioned, maybe try the other magnet options since you have already done all that work and it IS such a cool idea...good luck :)

Bummer. I was gonna try this too! Just so you don't feel too bad- I can recognize two cars in the source picture that my son owns... bought from the store within the last two years! Those are not "really old cars". (Right hand side-third row from bottom-orange jeep with white hard top; right hand side-bottom row-red car with white and blue stripes with white interior.) Cars are taking over my house!

Ok, I read through most of the comments. What about the cheaper packs of PLASTIC cars. I have seen them in big packs at dollar stores, drug stores, maybe even Walmart now that the holidays are coming. They would be light enough, and my son would still want to play with the metal cars. Maybe?

First...don't refer to it as a "fail" since it wasn't your mistake but a misleading post. My suggestion is to go to your favorite hobby/craft store and look for the magnetic tape that comes in a tape dispenser. It is thin but sticky on one side and magnetic on the other. It would be cheaper than a bunch of magnets. Good Luck. - Jill

Ack!! How irritating. I haven't read all of the comments so sorry if this has been suggested ... but isn't there a magnetic strip product with a sticky back? Like tape on one side and magnetic on the other? Maybe you could cut small pieces of that?

As for the metal racks .... could you screw hooks into them for a little hook rack in a closet (or 5)? Maybe for necklaces, belts, ties, etc.

I would try the magnetic paint on the car idea first. Your "E" looks great. I think if you can't get the cars to work it would be good to make the "E" out of something else so you won't see your drill holes. Good luck!

Don't take it down!!! We bought my son (now eight) sight words that came on flexible magnetic strips. He LOVED them. They would be so cool lined up on that "E" I think. Just a thought. Decorative and educational.

You could definitely do words, he's the perfect age.Also, what about getting a thinner metal strip that would stick to the bottom of each horizontal piece and create a ledge the cars could rest on? The metal E looks cool.

Please don't glue magnets - those are incredibly dangerous when swallowed. Also, frommy own DIY/craft fail - I'm very doubtful the magnetic paint would work. I found it pretty useless. And I'd make sure they still go on the tracks with the washer on them before I did that.

The metal E looks pretty cool, but pretty expensive if you aren't using the magnet-ness of it! Thanks for sharing the "fail"! I'll stay tuned to see what you decide!

Sarah, Thanks for posting the fsil! I really appreciate the information. Will you repost what youend up doing? I like the idea of gluing wshers or magnets to the cars as well as the magnetic paint idea. I'd love to see what you end up doing. I saw that The Land of Nod also commented and that was nice of them. Keep up the great job, Sarah! I always appreciate your advice even whrn it is a fail. I learn from successes as well as fails! Dawn

I am so glad ( not for you) to know this, because I was gonna buy this strips for 5 grandson's, and do their room... saved LOTS of money !! Thank you! But it was great looking project if it had worked.

Okay so the colors are all together on that wall all decorator savy but in reality the kid will not put the trucks back up by color and then the OCD will kick in, even if you don't have OCD you will develop OCD with this toy car look. It is cute.

Such a cute idea. Too bad it didn't work. Maybe they had some kind of special car?

I love the E. Keep that. Or .. I like the magnetic bars for organizing too. You could rearrange them and get some magnetic tape, glue to something decorative in the form of a strip that fits over the magnetic bar and sandwich some artwork or notes.

Oh, my, that is so disappointing! Though I have to say, when I saw your title, I thought you had read about my big decoupage pumpkin fail- ha! :DI wonder if baby jar lids would stick? Filled with buttons or art supplies, the jars could be quite colorful.

Everyone came up with great solutions but it's my guess that that is not the point. You saw a project for what it was and in theory it should have worked because the picture made sense. I think in this case, I'd be flippin mad like yourself. Any suggestion will work :) do whatcha gotta do, move on to the next project so you can be happy again. have a great day :)Barb

After having my own epic magnetic strip fail complete with several tries at "fixes" which ended up costing me more money than I am willing to think about, I hate to say this might be one to give up on now. I had to work extremely hard to pull those words out of my determined perfectionist, never give up body - but after my fail, I'd say keep your sanity intact and return the strip and fill the holes. I still have nightmares about my project and the messes I made trying to "fix" it!!

Yes, gluing on magnets is dangerous. If one fell off and a child swallowed it, it could cause the intestines to tear especially if more than one was swallowed because the magnets try to stick to each other even if in different parts of the intestines. The tear leads to sepsis (blood poisoning) because the bacteria in he gut goes into the bloodstream. Death can follow and has on more than one sad documentary. There was a massive recall in 2007 of Magnetix building blocks toys because of this.

I also bought those strips from IKEA and found the cars didn't stick! I was so excited to try it out that I rushed home from IKEA and pulled out the cars. Fortunately, I hadn't put any strips on the wall at that point. My impatience paid off that time :) Sorry for your monster holes!!

would it be possible to put the magnet strips on the metal pieces instead of on all the little cars? i don't know if it would work, but putting the magnets (backside?) on the strips would keep from having to glue something to the bottom of every car!

I saw this idea on a blog a while ago too and got really excited. It's a 2 hr drive to Ikea though, so I did drag out some cars and magnets and yep, they didn't stick together. I was really bummed, but I can imagine how MAD I would have been if I'd already done everything you did! I'm so sorry! I hope you've found a use for at least a couple of your strips by now. :(

LOL! I just purchased another knife strip from Ikea this past weekend. I use them in the garage to hold paintbrushes while they dry/to store them bristles down. If you decided to take it down, perhaps this is another idea you can use. {{Hugs}}